


Going Home

by tabbytabbytabby



Series: Game of Thrones Season 8 [14]
Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Episode Fix-it, Episode: s08e05 The Bells, F/M, Happy Ending, Season/Series 08
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-13
Updated: 2019-05-13
Packaged: 2020-03-02 13:15:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18811630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tabbytabbytabby/pseuds/tabbytabbytabby
Summary: After a talk with Tyrion, Jaime makes a decision to go back where he belongs. To Brienne.





	Going Home

**Author's Note:**

> I’m not happy after that shit show of an episode. Jaime deserves better than that. Brienne deserves better. We all deserve better. So I just had to do something to make myself feel better.

Realistically Jaime should have known he’d be caught. He’s not as stealthy as he used to be. Especially not with a golden hand attached to him. Part of him wonders if he wanted to be caught, but he quickly pushes that aside. He came here with a purpose, and sitting chained up in a tent wasn’t it.

He feels a rush of wind at his back and hears the sound of footsteps before Tyrion comes into view. He should have known. 

“You’re an idiot,” Tyrion says by way of greeting.

“It’s good to see you too, Tyrion,” Jaime replies.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Tyrion tells him. “You know that.”

Jaime shakes his head, “I’m where I need to be. Well not quite. But I’m close.”

“What about Brienne?” Tyrion asks him.

Jaime looks away. He can’t trust himself to meet his gaze. Not when it comes to this subject. One he was hoping to avoid.

“What about her?” Jaime asks, trying to sound disinterested, and most likely failing.

Tyrion scoffs, “Don't act like you don’t know, Jaime. You care for her. Maybe even love her. You were happy with her. So why leave?”

“For Cersei,” Jaime says. He doesn’t like the way the words feel on his tongue. He’s reminded of how he said them to Brienne when he left her. How she’d cried and begged him to stay and he’d still left like the coward he is. Because he was afraid. Afraid of letting himself be happy. 

“It’s more than that,” Tyrion says. “I know you, Jaime. You were done with her. Truly done. Why come back now?”

“Because it’s what I deserve,” Jaime spits out. “After everything I’ve done I deserve to burn with her.”

“Neither one of you has to burn,” Tyrion tells him. “You can convince her to surrender and then go back to Brienne.”

“Cersei has never listened to me,” Jaime says, choosing to ignore the part about Brienne.

Tyrion doesn’t drop it though. Not that Jaime really expected him to. “No, but Brienne does. She loves you. She trusts you. She sees the man you really are. Cersei never did. She always wanted to change you. But you don’t have to be the man she wants you to be.”

“What if I already am?”

“You’re not,” Tyrion tells him. “You’re better. You’re a good man.”

Jaime’s breath catches at the words, and he lifts his eyes to meet Tyrion’s. He remembers the feeling of Brienne’s hands holding his face. How he’d wanted nothing more than to believe her.

“I want to be.”

“Then do it,” Tyrion says. “Stop living in Cersei’s shadow, and live for yourself.”

“But you said I should talk to her.”

“Not if it means losing you,” Tyrion sighs. He moves to unlock Jaime’s chains and stands back. “Go home, Jaime. Go back to Brienne.”

Jaime hugs him tightly. He hates how much it feels like a goodbye. “Be safe.”

“You too,” Tyrion says. “No matter what you choose. You have a lot of enemies.”

Jaime’s smile is grim, “Haven’t I always?”

Jaime stands up. His eyes drift to the flap of the tent. He’s standing at a crossroads. He can leave here and walk into King’s Landing. Or he can go back to Brienne. The choice is easier than he thought it would be.

He takes a deep breath and turns back to Tyrion. “Hopefully I’ll be seeing you soon.”

Tyrion tilts his head, “Does that mean…?”

Jaime nods, “I’m going home.”

* * *

 

The walls of Winterfell loom ahead of him. Tall and dark. The gates are open as he rides up. Something he is grateful for. He knows someone is going to be alerted to his presence, but hopefully he makes it inside first. Closer to Brienne.

He jumps down from his horse and brings it to the stables. When he walks back out Podrick is standing there. He’s glaring at Jaime with an anger he hadn’t seen before.

Jaime waves his hand, but before he can get a greeting out a fist connects to his face.

“You hurt her,” Podrick says, his voice shaking with anger.

Jaime straightens with his hand over his nose, “I know, and I’m sorry for that.”

“It’s not me you should be apologizing to.”

“I know that too,” Jaime says. “If you could just tell me where she is…”

His words trail off when he hears a familiar voice nearby. One that has been haunting him for months.

“Podrick. Who are you talking to?”

Jaime turns to her, watching as her eyes widen as he takes her in. “Brienne.”

She continues to stare, her eyes never leaving his face. “Is it really you?”

“It is,” Jaime says.

“They said King’s Landing burned,” Brienne says. “I was worried you were there.”

“I was,” Jaime says, taking a careful step forward. “I never made it past the gates. Then I talked to Tyrion and he helped me realize something I already knew but was too afraid to admit.”

“What’s that?”

“That my place is here,” Jaime says, coming to a stop in front of her. “So I came home.”

“To Winterfell?” Brienne asks. “But you hate the North.”

“I do,” Jaime agrees. “But I love you. You’re my home, Brienne. And I’m sorry I ever made you think otherwise.”

“I should hate you,” she tells him, her voice cracking around the words.

“You should.”

“But I don’t. I love you too, Jaime. But if you ever try to pull something like this again…”

“I’m pretty sure Podrick will string me up by my toes,” Jaime tells her.

She smiles, “We better hope it doesn’t come to that. Which means…”

“What?”

“You’re going to have to talk to me,” Brienne says. “Whatever you’re feeling you can tell me. You can trust me.”

“I do,” he assures her. “I trust you.”

When he moves in closer she punches him in the arm. “Don’t think you’re getting off that easily.”

Jaime smiles and shakes his head, “Of course not.”

He goes to pull back but she stops him with a hand on his neck. She steps closer, bringing her forehead down to rest against his. To his surprise she kisses him softly. When she pulls back, she’s smiling shyly. “I am glad you're home, Jaime.”

“So am I.”

Jaime never thought he’d consider Winterfell his home. He probably would have laughed at anyone who suggested it. Yet here he is. Standing in the Winterfell courtyard, Brienne in his arms. It feels right. The ache in him settles. He knows he’s exactly where he’s supposed to be.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos/Comments make my day. ♥  
> [My tumblr](http://tabbytabbytabby.tumblr.com/)


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